JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – A $5 million grant shared among the state’s public research universities will be used to fund projects to monitor water quality and conduct oyster research along the Gulf Coast.
The Mississippi-based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (MBRACE) funds the grant. MBRACE focuses on science, technology and understanding of natural effects within coastal ecosystems and how best to bring about positive change in a sustainable way. The grant will fund research at Jackson State University (JSU), Mississippi State University (MSU), the University of Mississippi (UM), and The University of Southern Mississippi (USM).
Lead investigators include Jerry Wiggert, professor of marine science at USM, Kamal Ali, professor of computer engineering at JSU, Adam Skarke, associate professor of geology at MSU and Marc Slattery, professor of pharmacognosy and environmental toxicology in biomolecular sciences from Ole Miss.
According to USM officials, the funded projects are as follows: